Police Department Structure

The Uniformed Patrol Division is the largest and most publicly visible part of the Lenexa Police Department, comprising approximately 50 sworn officers.

Our Uniformed Patrol provides an immediate response to calls for service on a 24-hour basis. In conjunction with its emergency response capability, we are committed to maintaining a continuous preventative patrol function within the community. The Patrol Division is responsible for front-line service to the public.

Our patrol officers are encouraged to use proactive patrol aimed at recognizing problem areas and preventing criminal activity through intelligent and aggressive patrol techniques. Our Patrol Division works to develop a positive relationship with citizens based on cooperation and understanding to foster an open, trusting relationship. This includes traffic enforcement, response to calls for service from the public, and the detection and investigation of crimes through daily patrol procedures. Our mission is to provide quality public service based on high ethical and professional standards.

The Animal Control Unit is staffed by three civilian Animal Control Officers who take pride in their profession and enjoy being a resource to our community. Animal Control Officers enforce City ordinances pertaining to animals and pet ownership. They also respond to animal complaints, investigate animal bites, and take lost pet reports from residents.

Animal Control participates in several City festivals throughout the year to promote responsible pet care and celebrate the pets in our community.

Although Animal Control does not trap and remove nuisance wildlife unless the animal is ill or injured, officers are available to answer questions and conduct presentations to local elementary schools to educate students about urban wildlife.

Animal Control services

The Bicycle Unit is staffed by two officers who patrol as a pair. These officers use both a patrol car and patrol bicycles during the course of their 10-hour shift.

Using their patrol bicycles, the officers can access areas where a patrol car is limited. Lenexa has a vast network of trails for walking and jogging that citizens enjoy every day. Bicycle officers have the ability to ride these trails, which gives an enhanced level of security and protection to our community.

When not on the trails, bicycle officers will target their efforts to specific areas which may be experiencing a disproportionate amount of criminal activity. The bicycle unit is also used to patrol special community events such as the Great Lenexa BBQ Battle and Community Days Parade.

The Directed Patrol Unit is staffed by four officers and one sergeant. This unit is used for a variety of response actions and proactive enforcement. Some of the crimes investigated include narcotics, prescription drug crimes, firearms crimes, prostitution/vice, human trafficking, and organized retail theft.

The Directed Patrol Unit can also be deployed for proactive patrol and surveillance to aid in burglary and theft investigations as well as other crime sprees. When not in reactionary response, this unit conducts proactive criminal interdiction.

The K-9 Unit is staffed by three teams, each consisting of one officer (handler) and their K-9. All three of our K-9s are dual purpose, meaning they are trained in both criminal apprehension and narcotics detection. Additionally, our K-9s are also used to help locate missing or endangered persons and to conduct article searches. The K-9 Unit also performs public demonstrations at schools and to other groups in the community.

Our K-9 Unit was started in 1972 and was the first working K-9 unit in Johnson County and one of the first in the Kansas City metropolitan area. Over the years, our K-9 Unit has been recognized by the National Police Canine Association with awards for Patrol and Narcotics competitions at national seminars.

Our current K-9s are Bruno (German Shepherd), Luka (Belgian Malinois) and Bart (Dutch Shepherd).

Our School Resource Unit is staffed by six full-time School Resource Officers (SROs). SROs fulfill three basic functions in their school assignments:

1. Law enforcement officer (dealing with any law and safety/public order-related issues).
2. Informal counselor (for students, parents and staff).
3. Guest teacher (for instruction in law related educations, violence prevention/diffusion, internet safety, bullying, alcohol and drug prevention, crime prevention, and more).

Our SROs work in collaboration with school administrations to promote a safe educational environment for all.

All of our SROs are certified by the National Association of School Resource Officers. During the months that schools are in session, SROs are assigned full time to work in their respective schools. Our SROs also facilitate the summer Youth Police Academy, a one-week program to educate teens about law enforcement.

School Resource Officer contact information

The Traffic Safety Unit is staffed by four officers and one sergeant. This unit provides technical expertise to the department in the areas of accident investigation, drunk and/or impaired driving detection, and violation enforcement.

Traffic Safety Unit officers aggressively saturate the roadways and participate in national and statewide safety initiatives such as "Click it or Ticket," DUI saturation patrols, and texting while driving enforcement. The unit also investigates citizen complaints of speeding vehicles, illegal parking, and other traffic-related issues. In addition, the unit also conducts Commercial Vehicle Safety Alliance enforcement, where commercial motor vehicles are inspected and weighed to ensure the safety of our roadways.

At their discretion, Traffic Safety Unit officers use police motorcycles in the course of their duties. The unit also uses motorcycles to participate in escorts (police funerals, VIP) as well as special event traffic control (races, parades, community events).

The Training Unit is staffed by two officers, a civilian training specialist and one sergeant.

This unit is responsible for coordinating and providing all training to sworn officers. This includes firearms skills, defensive tactics, emergency driving, legal issues, crime scene processing, interview/interrogation, and many other skills used daily by officers.

The Training Unit has several training venues at their disposal, including an interactive firearms simulator, an indoor range, an outdoor situational training site, and several classrooms. The Training Unit also reviews all uses of force by officers, to ensure that training is current, relevant and effective.

We have a strong commitment to training our personnel, which we believe makes them safer and more effective in the performance of their duties.

The Communications Unit is comprised of 17 highly skilled police dispatchers who are dedicated to safety, criminal apprehension and customer service. They are the primary 9-1-1 public safety answering point for the City of Lenexa, receiving calls from the public and dispatching officers to where help is needed.

They also assist police officers with information gathering using multiple databases.

The Crime Analysis Unit is staffed by two full-time civilian crime analysts that work to identify trends in crime and disorder through tactical, strategic, intelligence and administrative analysis. These efforts keep officer safety a priority, aid in deploying resources, and assist in identifying and apprehending suspects.

The unit supports our community by maintaining the public crime map and working closely with the Investigations Division and Patrol Division.

The Public Service Officer Unit is comprised of 15 civilian employees that carry out a number of critical functions within the Police Department. They are often the first point of contact for citizens seeking police services in our lobby and are empowered to take both offense and vehicle accident reports. As custodians of the department’s official records, they respond to requests for records, perform expungements, and ensure compliance with state and federal statutes on handling and disseminating police records.

Members of this unit are also charged with the day-to-day operation of the property and evidence room.

The General Assignment Unit is comprised of six detectives who investigate property crimes and crimes against people. These detectives seek advanced training to facilitate the investigation of crimes such as theft, battery/assault, robbery and murder.

A general assignment detective receives daily case assignments to investigate. The cases come from crime reports submitted primarily by members of the Patrol Division, station officers or sometimes outside criminal justice agencies.

Cases are investigated by reviewing and developing leads within each criminal offense report. Case development relies on an investigator's skills in crime scene processing, interviewing victims and witnesses, surveillance and questioning of criminal suspects.

General assignment detectives frequently work in teams and are encouraged to involve officers in the Patrol Division to assist in criminal investigations.

Two detectives are assigned to investigate financial crimes. These detectives investigate cases involving identity theft, forgery and various types of fraud — ranging from check fraud and corporate embezzlement cases to online scams.

The Special Victims Unit is staffed by three full-time detectives. This unit investigates cases involving domestic violence, sex crimes and crimes against children. The detectives assigned to this unit have specialized training in how to investigate these crimes and assist victims.

The Special Victims Unit works closely with the Kansas Department of Children and Families and the Johnson County District Attorney's Office.

Child victims are brought to Sunflower House, which is a Children's Advocacy Center that serves as an unbiased resource to law enforcement and child protective services agencies by providing forensic interviews.

The Integrated Services Unit consists of the following:

Information Technology

PD-IT is made up of five professional staff members (civilians) who keep the department on the cutting edge of technology, providing procurement, integration, and ongoing maintenance and support for many systems that enhance the abilities of the officers in the field, investigators and support staff. These technologies include computer-aided dispatch, records management system, ELSAG (our license plate reader platform), e-ticketing, crime mapping, mobile data terminals, and the City's ever-expanding traffic and security camera network.

Technical Services

Technical Services is made up of five professional staff members (civilians) that support the Police Department’s technology, communications, and specialized equipment. Staff are responsible for maintaining and supporting the emergency systems used to process calls for service, along with police fleet emergency equipment. The unit also manages and maintains a wide range of City-owned technical systems, including computer and network hardware, radio communications, video security systems, access control systems, and other electronic and mechanical equipment. Their work helps ensure the department’s facilities, technology, and critical systems remain reliable and operational around the clock. They are also responsible for the maintenance of the physical plant and facilities operated by the Police Department.

Custodial Staff

This staff consists of three custodians who play an important role in keeping the Lenexa Justice Center clean, safe and well-maintained. They ensure that workspaces, public areas and facilities are properly cared for each day, creating a professional and welcoming environment for both employees and visitors.